There are not enough bands like Witchrider. ‘Unmountable Stair’s is a beautiful amalgamation of straight laced, good time fuzz n’ roll with darker, doom-tinted flavours haunting each and every one of these songs like the ghost of a restless soul. Instantly accessible and gratifyingly groovy yet understated and uncluttered, it doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t. Rather, this is unabashed fuzz heaven streamlined for success.

Their first full-length record, with a self-titled EP and split EP with Truckfighters – whom they have the honour of supporting on their forthcoming UK tour – already to their name, it is a rock solid effort. It has a really graciously uplifting atmosphere to it, the choruses and crackling fuzz harmonies sound like they could turn grey drizzle-sodden skies blue, and put a smile on even the most miserable bastard’s face.

From ‘Black’s moving chord progressions and addictive licks, to ‘1 for 5’’s ingenious harmonics riff, via the demented ‘The Fog’.There is plenty of stoner rock musicality and atmospherics to immerse yourself in. But there is an added alternative rock styled edge protruding from the mix. Think of the melodicism of QOTSA and Foo Fighters with added weed, heaviness and darkness and you’ll find yourself traipsing through the kind of murky, mercurial territory that Witchrider have so brilliantly established for themselves.

‘I’m Outta Breath’ gives their shadowy aesthetics a more prominent role, taking on an occult like musical texture before ‘Far From You’, pleasingly redolent ode to the crunching, as-much-fun-as-you-can-have-with-your-pants-on riffology of Fu Manchu. ‘The Cabin’ meanwhile was born to be blared out in a smoky room full of sweaty rockers, all just the wrong side of stoned, to headbang in any form of co-ordinated manner – but having the time of their lives nevertheless.Come to think of it, the song was probably conceived in an environment remarkably similar. The apple hasn’t fallen from the tree you could say.

Their slot as main support to Truckfighters on their jaunt across our fine island next month is an ideal opportunity to further increase their fan base. A legion of Truckfighters fans, a band with whom this Austrian quartet bear many a resemblance to, await to be hypnotised by their narcotic mysticism. For this is the kind of record that doesn’t merely play out of your speakers or headphones in the hope that someone may listen up and take note. This is the kind of record that wraps its sweet yet sullen self around you; it absorbs you.

Moreover, it is one of those records impossible to pick a definitive single from. Not because it lacks commercial viability – it has oodles of that – but because every track is equally as persistent and ultimately successful at drilling itself into your head.Like a devil on your shoulder tempting you to take another filthy gulp.

‘Witch-Hunt’ evokes Lullabies… era QOTSA with its burrowing riff and sassy composure while album-closer ‘Styx’ is a simply irresistible long goodbye. With the fuzz temporarily toned back, its bouncing rhythm and well-scattered intricacies – vocal ‘ooh aahs,’ and bittersweet, crying harmonies – it climaxes like fireworks at the chiming of midnight on a new year: Bright, colourful, breath-taking and commodious, it lights up the skyline with a innate sense of hope and promise for the future.

Among
the bands in the LA metal scene few work and play harder than DIY band Madrost.
They begin their latest record with a nice ambient track that plays to the
science fiction aspect of the record, making for a eerie intro, giving you the
feeling that evil things lurk where the journey is about to take place. The
next track ‘Frozen Beneath the Snow’starts with some straight up serious heavy riffig and power metal
screams, inspired by the likes of Kai Hansen or John Cyriis open up the track.
Frontman Tanner Poppitt returns to employ his raspy bark vocal style which fits
the music quite well. Different elements of metal appear right from the
beginning to the end of this record, blast beats, tremolo picking and thrash
inspired riffs are all over the place as the band explores where it can take
its sound.

The
most immediately noticeable element is the development of style on behalf of
the band which has resulted in a mature sound. Their last release ‘Maleficent’, featured a different
line up but front man Tanner Poppitt returns and seems to have worked hard with
this line up as both live and on record they are making waves. Drumming
overall on the album is fitting and confident, it can be said that the addition
of Cesar Escobar behind the kit was an excellent choice for Madrost, his
powerful presence and consistency speaks for itself and It seems has found the
sweet spot in which his beats demand attention on every track. Ror me his drumming was impeccable on this
record.

The
third track ‘Universal Energy’
features straight to the point riffing fury that Madrost listeners will be used
to by now, but with an added twist, including a memorable chorus that you may
find yourself singing along to. The following track ‘Operation Xenomorphic Protocol’ is my personal favorite on the
record, filled with tempo changes and heavy riffs and even harmonies, this track
simply just kills. The track is more on the death metal side of things and you
will hear no complaints from me, however towards the end of the track I feel
the record reaches its climax, a solo delivered by guitarist Alejandro Pelaez
comes in, amazingly tasteful and melodic solo, joined in harmony by Frontman
Tanner Poppitt's guitar which makes for an epic moment on this record. I found
myself hitting rewind at least 7 or 8 times to hear it again over and over
again as for that moment everything came together perfectly.

Come
out of the solo and you are hit with a very Dark Angel-esque style riff, which is
very awesome to hear, followed up with some Death inspired riffs too. ‘The Oceanic Prelude’ follows with a
very nice soothing classical style guitar, reminiscent of Lord Belial's work in
the past, which serves as an introduction to the next track ‘Subterranean Nightmare’. Again
when the band is playing together and is hitting the listener with these bone
crushing riffs everything is taken to a higher level of heaviness by the solid
and consistent drumming of Cesar Escobar, whose double pedal work is intense
and some of the best I have heard in a while from an underground band.

The
end of ‘Subterranean Nightmare’includes
some very nice bass fills by Richard Orellana who's on live stage presence is
top notch, Madrost brings this same intensity that you hear on record to the
stage as well.

Closing
out the album with ‘Into the
Aquatic Sector’, whose chorus is going to be sticking in your head for some
time, it may even have you joining in with the band. The end of the track has a
very Death inspired moment that is very progressive and very fitting for the
moment, as the next track ‘Depravity’
starts again, with in your face death metal style riffing and blast beats which
makes for a solid song to wrap up the album.

Overall
‘Into the Aquatic Sector’ is a
very promising and solid album which is more proof that DIY projects are
reaching a point where they are just as good as record label funded records
which deserves much applause as DIY bands. Madrost is playing shows left and
right in the LA metal scene and have made quite a name for themselves. On stage
they are killer and will have you headbanging right along with them. Something
tells me that we have not heard the best of Madrost yet, which makes me excited
for what is to come. This Line up seems
to be one that has plenty of promise and talent and already delivering great
material such as this latest release. Madrost have delivered ‘Into the Aquatic Sector’, who knows
where they will take us next? I know I will be eagerly waiting for the answer.
If Madrost come to a town near you, be there, you will not be disappointed.

Monday, 29 September 2014

Long gone are the days of Anathema taking the form
of a death/doom metal band, to the extent where debut album ‘Serenades’ could
easily be mistaken as a wholly different band. However, a significant portion
of their heavy metal fan base has remained loyal throughout their progressive
evolution. It’s immediately clear when walking into Manchester Academy 3 just
how popular Anathema are, as the packed crowd draped in Anathema t-shirts from
all eras eagerly await their arrival to the stage.

The set list is predominantly taken from the last
four albums, with latest release ‘Distant Satellites’ being the dominant focus, which perhaps may have
left some fans disappointed. Requests for earlier material are shouted out
intermittently provoking the response of “It’s going to be one of those nights
is it” from Danny Cavanagh, who makes the remark in a purely light hearted
manner. Danny shows his real charismatic side this evening, interacting with
the crowd throughout the duration of the set.

As aforementioned, ‘Distant Satellites’ takes
precedence over the set list, kicking off with ‘The Lost Song Part One and Two’
followed by the spine tingling ‘Untouchable Part One and Two’, bringing elation
from the crowd as Vinny Cavanagh and Lee Douglas pour their hearts and souls
into the vocals. However, it’s 'Anathema'from
‘Distant Satellites’ that steals the show for me, the fragility of the
beginning followed by the crushing impact of the guitar solo makes for a
memorable moment and set highlight.

Vinny utilizes the vocoder for the amazing ‘Closer’,
before the sound cuts out and engineers frantically run through the crowd
towards the stage. Sound problems are always an annoyance yet between the
comedy of a guy shouting out ‘Who has got 50p for the meter?’ and Danny
breaking into Pink Floyds 'Wish You Were
Here' inviting the crowd to sing along, it was the best handled technical
problem I’ve ever witnessed at a gig. Vinny returns to the vocoder and the
crowd return to having a wonderful time as if nothing ever happened.

‘A Natural Disaster’ shows off the incredible vocal
ability of Lee Douglas, who sings each lyric with utter precision. To the
delight of everyone Anathema concludes with ‘Fragile Dreams’ from ‘Alternative
4’ a song that is undoubtedly their biggest hit. What really comes across when
Anathema play live, is how massively talented each member is musically;
furthermore they play with such outstanding accuracy resulting in an
impressively flawless set. Seeing Anathema live is almost an experience rather
than just a gig, their music is so beautifully constructed and emotive you
become absorbed into the soundscape. A strong contender for best gig of 2014.

OPHIS [greek: serpent] was founded in the German harbour city of Hamburg
in late 2001, as an outlet for its members very own darker sides: an abyssic immersion
of slow monolithic Doom Metal and raw, nihilistic and staggering old school
Death Metal.

The band steadily became a solid institution among Doom-fans worldwide, collecting
a loyal following by constantly playing live all over Europe. After the release
of their debut album “Stream of Misery” in 2007, OPHIS toured with Pantheist
and Skepticism. Their sophomore record “Withered Shades” (2010)

was praised by the press as one of the best Death/Doom records of the
past decade and even won the 2nd place in Metalstorm’s “best extreme Doom album
award”, and followed by a tour alongside Ahab and Esoteric.

Recently, Cyclone Empire re-released the debut album and the first EP as
a compilation entitled “Effigies of Desolation”, which was accompanied by yet another
European tour, this time with Evoken.

OPHIS is musically rooted in the early 90s, yet NOT a retro band, as they
push their musical progress onward with every release. This tension grants
OPHIS their own niche in a scene dominated by trends, which the band always
refused to follow. Lyrically OPHIS are – unusual for a Doom band – observers of
society, sometimes even with political undertones. But also personal lyrics dealing
with the inner struggles of the members can be found.

The Band:

Phil | guitar, vocals

Martin | guitar

Olly | bass

Nils | drums

Review:

Doom/death
straight out of the den of iniquity that is Hamburg, Ophis bring the noise from
the off. Having been around for well over a decade, these boys know their
business. ‘Disquisition of The Burning’
is slow moving and all distorted bass and sludgy guitar work. The vocals are of
the Hooded Menace doom school- low and slow. Some nice double tracking with a
higher screech can be heard too and this adds to the expansive sound. The track
is nearly fifteen minutes long and this sets the standard for what follows.

‘Among The Falling Stones’ is mournful
and melancholy as well as being hate filled to the brim. The album is starting
to develop into a real misanthropic delight at this point. At nearly thirteen
minutes, there is a lot of room for some chugging riff play along with
discordant melodies and crawling despair.

‘A Waltz Perverse’has a clean
guitar intro before things get really filthy over its nine minutes plus length.
The track has some faster sections and pinch harmonics here and there to ring
the changes. This is positively speedy compared to the earlier tracks. The feel
of Dragged Into Sunlight springs (or crawls or slithers) to mind- horrifying
stuff for sure!

‘Somnolent Despondency’ sounds just
like the title- eerie and mournful while being panoramic in sound and scope.
Good solo, too. Listening through this track is an endurance test in itself. It
is relentlessly bleak and hostile. Bravo, Ophis, bravo...

‘Resurrectum’ delivers the coup de grace of this
aural execution. It is a slow burner (no surprise, there) and builds up nicely
with some glowering guitar work that gets heavier and then heavier again. The
bass sound is a joy (in a way) throughout- low and dirty with the right amount
of distortion. There are some cool rhythmical motifs on display here and double
bass drums where they need to be.

No
doubt about it, Ophis are masters of their craft. Veteran misanthropes serving
up a cold main course of hatred. A fine and bleak album; perfect for the slide
towards winter.

1). Prayer Of Naphal (02:00)
2). Et Nox Illuminatio Mea In Deliciis Meis (09:00)
3). Lantern Of Eden’s Night (09:30)
4). Things Which Are Naught (05:36)
5). I Am The Gateway (07:33)
6). Call Of The Exile (04:26)
7). Where Fire Never Dreamt Of Man (06:41)
8). The Witchfires Of Tubal-Qayin (07:43)
9). Salvation Is The Son Of Leviathan (Alabas in Memoriam) (06:08)
10). The Otherness Of Being (12:43)

Bio:

Ego Dominus Tuus" comes as a
huge surprise. With their previous release "Hierophany Of The Open
Grave" (2011) NIGHTBRINGERsucceeded
to raise an eyebrow or two in Europe, but the old world was rather busy with
sufficient orthodox Black Metal of its own. This is about to change. Sure, the
elements that "Ego Dominus Tuus" is made of are well known. There are
obvious traces of EMPEROR, DARK FUNERAL and DIMMU BORGIR among other black
classics to be found on the American's fourth full-length. Yet NIGHTBRINGER have created dark
and gripping music that is clearly bigger than the sum of its parts. Their
songwriting is flawlessly elegant and easily carries even through songs of epic
duration without a single second wasted.

When NIGHTBRINGER were founded, the band was created as a conduit
for contemplations on the mysteries of death as it is understood in the
tradition of the magical arts. Formed in the year 1999 by Naas Alcameth
(guitars and vocals) and former member Nox Corvus (guitars, percussion and
vocals), the band from Colorado in the United States chose Nordic Black Metal
as the foundation of their artistic expression. NIGHTBRINGER are still holding up the traditions of second
generation Black Metal, while adding their own unique sinister sound. After
unleashing several demos and split releases between 2001 and 2006, their debut
album "Death and the Black Work" darkened the light of the world in
2008. A second album followed two years later with "Apocalypse Sun".
Rising from the US underground,NIGHTBRINGER found
themselves opening for major acts of the scene such as WATAIN, KRIEG and
PROFANATICA and in 2014 crossed the Atlantic for a small tour reaping strong
praise from the initiated.

Now it is time to listen to
NIGHTBRINGER again without prejudice and discover the remarkable strength of
"Ego Dominus Tuus" that will lead them to the elite circle of
American black metal!

‘Ego
Dominus Tuus’, the third album from Colorado black metal band Nightbringer
marks a slight tonal shift, which some might cite as a negative. Do not count
me among them, as I think the album adds new elements that work well and move
the band along nicely. Change is often necessary, and as long as a band makes
logical choices when evolving their sound; it’s the only way to avoid
stagnating.

The
first two albums were built around a lot on dissonant, clashing chords, which you
might equate with a band like Deathspell Omega. They weren’t quite as jarring
as Deathspell Omega, as things tended to be a bit more open and flowing from a
rhythmic standpoint, whereas DSO is jagged and stabbing with harsh tempo
changes from out of nowhere. The shift on ‘Ego Dominus Tuus’ takes Nightbringer
into territory more synonymous with a Dark Funeral, Setherial or maybe Funeral
Mist. That isn’t to say they’ve completely abandoned what’s worked for them in
the past. “I Am the Gateway” features a slower, warping section that would have
fit in quite nicely on ‘Hierophany of the Open Grave’. But those moments
represent a smaller part of this album than on either of the previous two.

One
change that should strike you right away is an increased focus on
borderline-ridiculous blasting tempos. It’s very often every bit as fast as the
fastest of Dark Funeral songs, which is no doubt thanks to new drummer Menthor
who also played drums on the newest Enthroned album. The bulk of this much
faster material is concentrated at the front of the album, only showing up
occasionally in the later stages. Many of these super-fast sections also tend to include the Dark Funeral/Setherial-style wall of inverted power
chords, which is what drives my constant comparisons to those bands.

While
the album is very often compelling and even enthralling; it’s simply too
fucking long. There is no need for an album of this style to be 70 minutes
long. Rather than giving the album a sense of grandeur; it brings the the whole
thing down a notch for feeling bloated and over-stretched at a time when no one
is really making demands of album length.‘Ego Dominus Tuus’ would likely be a
fantastic 45-50 minute album, rather than a very good 70 minute album. Really,
the easiest cuts would be “Call of the Exile” and “Salvation is the Son of
Leviathan”. They’re pretty unnecessary as they’re largely just atmospheric,
tension-building tracks and Nightbringer already does an excellent job of
building tension within their sound, so instrumental tracks like these feel
like filler.

With the album’s only major flaw out of
the way, the greater positives still remain. Very few in American black metal
can craft an engrossing atmosphere the way Nightbringer can. They know how to
build to a huge, climactic moment. They know how to conjure up a huge
production too, and they make excellent use of it, as this is certainly their
best-sounding album so far. They just need to learn when to say enough is
enough.

In addition to releasing their thirteenth full-length album, "A Skeletal Domain," the death metal icons will also be releasing their official autobiography on September 16th. "Bible of Butchery: The Official Biography" was written by Joel McIver, the author of Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica and biographies on Black Sabbath, Slayer, Slipknot, and Queens Of The Stone Age. The book spans 150 pages, includes a forward written by drum legend Gene Hoglan, and is loaded with photos from throughout the Cannibal Corpse and Metal Blade Records archives. The book is available now for $19.99 plus shipping at indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords.

Excerpts from "Bible of Butchery: The Official Biography":

"Together with the band name that I came up with, and all the crazy cannibal films that we liked, we thought that should be the focus. Cannibal Corpse was a reanimated body which consumes other humans: the theme of the band was spelled out for us right there." - Alex Webster

"I've always been a smartass on stage. A lot of people who came to see me in Corpsegrinder were my friends, and they would be constantly breaking my balls when I was on stage, so I used to have to give shit back to them, which in hindsight probably helped with what I do now." - George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher

"When Rob Barrett quit Cannibal Corpse in 1997, the slot came up for a guitarist. I went down there and learned the songs and played them with the band, but it was funny: they didn't tell me if I'd got the gig or not. I kept learning the songs and playing them with them, but they wouldn't tell me for the longest time if I was in or not! They were like "We're not sure" and then finally I said, "Have I got the gig or not?" and they told me I had." - Pat O'Brien

"I wanted to know how music was made: I'd be glued to the guitar players and watch how they played. Then a friend of my brother sold me his guitar, a Gibson L6S which I bought for $12. I used to pretend I was playing it. Even when I was a little kid I used to play air guitar on tennis rackets. Then I tried a guitar that belonged to a friend of mine in a band, and played along note for note with the song they were playing. The guys in the band freaked out and told me I had to get a guitar. Then in 1985 I begged my mom for a guitar—"Please mom, I'll never ask you for anything again!"—and I got a Cort Flying V and a practice amp." - Rob Barrett

Review:

I have always taken an active interest in finding out a little more about the music I like- not just listening to it. For those of a similar mindset, this book is perfect for you. This is no “Hammer of The Gods”-esque lurid account, and nor is it a boredom inducing compendium of tour itineraries and release dates. It sits somewhere in between those two music biography extremes. At 170 pages with plenty of photos, it is fairly slim. Indeed, reading it on a commute or in the privacy of your own home is a task that is achievable in a few hours total. As a companion to the back catalogue of Cannibal Corpse it works very well.

You get a kind of profile of each band member, a history of the band, a few tour stories and pages of lyrics with song-writing explanations and inspiration from the relevant band members regarding the lyrical themes.Throughout, Joel McIver keeps pushing the point that the members of Cannibal Corpse are just “normal” blokes in their forties and not serial killers. This is, of course, true and is also blindingly obvious. Simply put: if the members of Cannibal Corpse committed the acts described in their songs they would not be touring internationally or anywhere at all. They would be in prison. McIver and the band do point out, more sensibly, that Cannibal Corpse’s songs are horror stories set to music- nobody censors books and even film censorship has dropped off considerably in recent years, so why does music still come in for so much scrutiny?

It is interesting that Cannibal Corpse have come in for so much intrusive censorship and scrutiny over the years. The fact that they were banned from playing songs from the first three albums in Germany for well over a decade is both ridiculous and incomprehensible. They are currently having problems over in Russia (I am more scared of the Russian state than Cannibal Corpse, for sure). No one is claiming that the band are bastions of free speech and/or political activists- least of all the band themselves- but the mirror that this holds up to the rest of society does not flatter. As the band point out, the things they write about as extreme and macabre horror really do happen and the media and the public are rabidly interested when it does.

The revelations contained within this tome are a worthy read- the pounding intro to Hammer Smashed Face brought to mind the impact and rhythm of a hammer; hence the title- while the band members do come across as well adjusted and nice people and family men. Pat O’Brien, we learn, likes to go to the gym and will not drink before a show; Alex Webster practiced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a few years, various members are either outgoing and sociable or more reclusive and mellow. Indeed, the everyman angle pushed by the author seems wholly accurate. The members of Cannibal Corpse are regular guys- huge metal fans from their teens (like most reading this), they took up playing instruments as they felt compelled to do so and then forged ahead into a full blown career.

The tour stories are along the lines of drinking and fighting- which is exactly what you would expect- but are not plentiful. You get the feeling that being on the road with Cannibal Corpse is like an enjoyable work road trip rather than a non-stop whirlwind of going on nights out with Tommy Lee.This isn’t Metallica; no private jets or drug habits here; you get a band that lives either in the studio or on the road. Webster’s remarks about specificity when writing lyrics are interesting, as are the band’s view on themselves and their position in the metal world. They are down to earth and know exactly what they are all about and how they are perceived. Did I know more after reading this than I did before? Absolutely. Is this book a must read? If you are a fan, then yes. In terms of information, I have seen the 3hr Centuries of Torment documentary disc and found it a comprehensive mine of information on the band’s evolution- more in depth on history than what is on offer here in print, definitely.It’s also worth noting that only current members contribute here- unlike the aforementioned DVD doc, which limits insight.

Yes, there are a fair few photos and if you own the albums physically then you most likely own all the lyrics too. That aside, this is perfect reading to go with their new record “A Skeletal Domain.” If you wanted to know more about how the band operates, how the songs are written and what inspires the musicians, then this is for you. Personally, I enjoyed it hugely and will most likely refer to it again when something in their back catalogue piques my interest. All in all.... a bloody good read (ha!).

Band Submissions

To those bands who have recently issued their first demo or album via bandcamp and would like to be featured on our 666 Pack Review or considered for a full review or stream please contact Aaron via email including your EPK, band bio, album file or download code, including artwork.

To those bands issuing their sophomore record and so on and would like to be considered for a review or stream on the blog. Get in touch using the same address above

We will consider bands from any genre but exclusively stoner, sludge, doom, psych, post-metal, experimental, black-metal etc. (Whilst I would like to respond to every email, this is not always possible.) Thanks